This is a terrible film

Rating: 3/10 (21 December 2008)

I have read all the post here and if I am given the chance, I would like to explain why I DO NOT like this film. I see it as the ultimate dumb blonde ww2 film, which I have suffered again in the build-up to Christmas 2008. Now, I have lived in the USA and have a very small idea of how they think (at least in the Midwest). I quite accept that they may love this film anywhere in the United States, especially with their armies in Afganistan and Iraq. Hollywood is the US film industry and playing at home to the US public. Europeans have no such loyalty to any film industry outside each of their own countries.
My real problem with this film is with the screenplay. You cannot argue that the money and stars were not thrown at it - and that is a major problem. Every name had to get it's 5 minutes on air and the money was there to allow it. Monosyllabic German is subtitled (bar Curd Jürgens). I reserve my harshest complaint for those do believe that this film has a grain of truth about it. Cornelius Ryan seems to have given the dumbest situations possible to stage the action scenes. There are literally dozens of examples of layered stupidity. Nuns roaming through the beaches unharmed. Bagpipers marching from inland to the beaches (and being cursed for being Irish!) undisturbed by the shells falling within their ranks. Then you have the time for American GIs to respond to the slow witted Germans. This brings up the problem of the cast.
No stars were included from outside Hollywood. Only the Dutch actors were previously unknown to American audiences. This allows lazy acceptance of the stereotype norms - em, for who? Well, in this case, the American audience. So the Yanks were all John Wayne wannabees, the Brits all Trevor Howard wannabees (even Sean Connery and Richard Burton). The Germans were irrelevant as this is an American victory film. I have no problem admitting that the Allies could not have won the war without the US. It is something Europe will always owe the USA....but that is a separate topic. This film is a celebration of those 'Palinesque' Americans who believe all the dumb stereotypical images of Europe and their peoples. The stars had to take part, or be noted for not being. No depth of character was asked for nor given. No actors or situations were challenging. No questions were asked or answered. Steven Spielberg and others have done wonderful ww2 films, from all the countries involved. This is a very poorly made, expensive, film which did nothing for the career of any actor taking part. I hope I am allowed to hold these views without negating my liking for my time working in the United States, England and Germany.